The Amitabha Sutra

The Amitabha Sutra

Translated into Chinese by Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva

Translated from Chinese into English by J.C. Cleary

Thus have I heard:

Once Buddha was in the land of Shravasti, in the garden of Jeta and Anathapindika. He
was accompanied by twelve hundred and fifty great Bhikshus, all of them great Arhats,
well known to the assembly. Among them were his leading disciples, such figures as the
Elders Shariputra, Maudgalyayana, Mahakashyapa, Maha Katyayana, and Mahakausthila,
Revata, Suddhipanthaka, Nanda, Ananda, Rahula, Gavampati, Pindola-bharadvaja,
Kalodayin, Mahakapphina, Vakula, and Aniruddha, etc., all great disciples. Also present
were the Bodhisattvas Mahasattva: Manjushri, Prince of the Dharma, the Bodhisattva
Ajita the Invincible, and the Bodhisattva of Constant Progress, Gandhahastin,
Nityodyukta, and other such great enlightening beings. Also present was Shakra, the king
of the gods, along with countless numbers of heavenly beings, making up a great
assembly.

At that time Buddha said to the Elder Shariputra: "West of here, past a hundred billion
Buddha-lands, there exists a world called "Ultimate Bliss". In this land there exists a
Buddha called Amitabha, who is expounding the Dharma right now.

[Buddha says to Shariputra:] "Why is this land called Ultimate Bliss"? It is called
"Ultimate Bliss" because the sentient beings in this land are free from the myriad
sufferings, and only know every kind of joy. Furthermore, this land is called "Ultimate
Bliss" because it is surrounded by seven rings of railings, and seven layers of nets, and
seven rows of trees, all made of the four precious jewels. Moreover, the Land of Ultimate
Bliss has many jeweled ponds filled with the waters of eight virtues. The bottom of each
of the ponds is pure golden sand, and the stepped walkways that lead up from all four
sides of each of the ponds are made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli and crystal. Above the
ponds there are towers which are adorned with silver and gold and lapis lazuli and crystal
and mother of pearl and red agate. In the ponds there are lotus flowers as big as cart
wheels: blue ones shining with blue light, yellow ones shining with yellow light, red ones
shining with red light, and white ones shining with white light, each emitting a subtle
pure fragrance.

The Land of Ultimate Bliss is complete with all these merits and adornments.
And there is more ~ celestial music is constantly playing in this Buddha-land, and the
ground is made of tawny gold. Flowers in the shape of heavenly orbs rain down at all
hours of the day and night. Every morning the sentient beings of this land decorate their

garments with multitudes of wondrous flowers and make offerings to hundreds of billions
of Buddhas in other worlds. When it is meal time, they return to their own lands, to eat
and circumambulate [the teaching assembly].

The Land of Ultimate Bliss is complete with all these merits and adornments.

And there is more still — in this land there are birds of all sorts of wondrous variegated

colors: white cranes, peacocks, orioles, myna birds, cuckoos. All these birds bring forth

harmonious songs day and night. Their songs communicate such Buddhist teachings as

the five roots, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the eightfold path, as

well as other teachings. When the sentient beings in this land hear the voices of the birds,

they are mindful of the Buddhas, mindful of the Dharma [Buddha's teachings], and

mindful of the Sangha [Community of Seekers of Enlightenment] .

Do not think that these birds were born as birds due to karmic retribution for past

misdeeds. Why not? In this Buddha-land, the three evil planes of existence (as animals,

hungry ghosts, and hell-beings) do not exist.

In this Buddha-land even the names of the evil planes of existence do not exist, much less
the realities. All these birds are the creations of Amitabha Buddha, fashioned in order to
broadcast the sounds of the Dharma.

In this Buddha-land, there is a slight breeze that stirs the rows of jewel trees and jewel
nets, so that they emit subtle wondrous sounds, like hundreds and thousands of melodies
playing all at once. All those who hear these sounds spontaneously develop the intention
to be mindful of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha.
This Buddha-land is complete with all these merits and adornments.

What do you think: why is this Buddha called Amitabha? The light of this Buddha is
infinite, and shines on all lands throughout the universe without obstruction. Thus this
Buddha is called Amitabha. Also, the life span of this Buddha and his people is an
infinite number of immeasurable eons, and so he is called Amitabha. Amitabha Buddha
attained enlightenment ten eons ago. Moreover, this Buddha has innumerable disciples,
all of whom are Arhats, and whose numbers are incalculable. Amitabha also has a
following of innumerable Bodhisattvas. The Land of Ultimate Bliss is complete with all
these merits and adornments. None of the sentient beings who are born in the Land of
Ultimate Bliss ever fall back into a lower realm [i.e., they are avaivartika] . Many among
them have only one more lifetime [to go before enlightenment]. These beings are very
numerous, and their number is incalculable: they can be spoken of as innumerable.
When sentient beings hear [of the Land of Ultimate Bliss], they must take a vow to be
born in this land. Why so? So that they can be together with all these beings of superior
goodness. One cannot be born in this land through minor good roots, blessings, virtues
and causal connections. If there are good men or good women who hear of Amitabha
Buddha, and recite his name single mindedly and without confusion, for one day or two
days or three days or four days or five days or six days or seven days, then when these
people are about to die, Amitabha Buddha and all the sages who are with him will appear
before them. When these people die, their minds will not fall into delusion, and they will
attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha's Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I have seen this benefit, and so I speak these words. If sentient beings hear what I say,
they must make a vow to be born in that land.

Right now I am extolling the benefits of the inconceivable merits of Amitabha Buddha.
But in the eastern direction there are also countless other Buddhas, like Akshobhya
Buddha, and the Buddha "Marks of the Polar Mountain", and the Buddha "Great Polar
Mountain", and the Buddha "Light of the Polar Mountain", and the Buddha "Wondrous
Voice". Each of them preaches in his own land with the eloquence of a Buddha, and
covers a whole cosmos, speaking the truth. All of you sentient beings should believe this
scripture extolling their inconceivable merits, and which all Buddhas protect and keep in
mind.

In the worlds of the southern direction there are countless other Buddhas, like the Buddha
"Lamp of the Sun and Moon", and the Buddha "Light of Renown", and the Buddha
"Great Flaming Shoulders", and the Buddha "Lamp of the Polar Mountain", and the
Buddha "Infinite Progress". Each of them preaches in his own land with the eloquence of
a Buddha, and covers a whole cosmos, speaking the truth. All of you sentient beings
should believe this scripture extolling their inconceivable merits, and which all Buddhas
protect and keep in mind.

In the worlds of the western direction there are countless other Buddhas, like the Buddha
"Infinite Life", and the Buddha "Innumerable Characteristics", and the Buddha
"Innumerable Banners", and the Buddha "Great Light", and the Buddha "Great
Illumination", and the Buddha "Mark of Reality", and the Buddha "Light of Purity". Each
of them preaches in his own land with the eloquence of a Buddha, and covers a whole
cosmos, speaking the truth, All of you sentient beings should believe this scripture
extolling their inconceivable merits, and which all Buddhas protect and keep in mind.
In the worlds of the northern direction there are countless other Buddhas, like the Buddha
"Flaming Shoulders", and the Buddha "Supreme Voice", and the Buddha "Unstoppable",
and the Buddha "Born of the Sun", and the Buddha "Netted Light". Each of them
preaches in his own land with the eloquence of a Buddha, and covers a whole cosmos,
speaking the truth. All of you sentient beings should believe this scripture extolling their
inconceivable merits, and which all Buddhas protect and keep in mind.

In the worlds of the nadir there are countless other Buddhas, like the Buddha "Lion", and
the Buddha "Repute", and the Buddha "Light", and the Buddha "Dharma Banner", and
the Buddha "Upholding the Dharma". Each of them preaches in his own land with the
eloquence of a Buddha, and covers a whole cosmos, speaking the truth. All of you
sentient beings should believe this scripture extolling their inconceivable merits, and
which all Buddhas protect and keep in mind.

In the worlds of the zenith there are countless other Buddhas, like the Buddha "Pure
Voice", and the Buddha "Sojourner King", and the Buddha "Incense Fragrance", and the
Buddha "Fragrant Light", and the Buddha "Great Blazing Shoulders", and the Buddha
"Body of Multicolored Jewel Flower Garlands", and the Buddha "Sala Tree King", and
the Buddha "Precious Flower Virtue", and the Buddha "Sees All Truths", and the Buddha

"Like the Polar Mountain". Each of them preaches in his own land with the eloquence of
a Buddha, and covers a whole cosmos, speaking the truth. All of you sentient beings
should believe this scripture extolling their inconceivable merits, which all Buddhas
protect and keep in mind.

Why do you think this is called the sutra that is protected and kept in mind by all the
Buddhas? If there are good men and good women who hear this scripture, accept it, and
uphold it, and they hear the names of all these Buddhas, all these good men and good
women will be protected and kept in mind by all these Buddhas, and all of them will
reach the level where they do not turn back from complete, unexcelled, correct
enlightenment. Therefore, all of you should faithfully accept what I say and what all the
Buddhas have said.

All those people who have vowed, or are vowing, or will vow to be born in the land of
Amitabha Buddha reach the level where they do not turn back from complete, unexcelled
enlightenment, whether in their past lives, their present lives, or their future lives.
Therefore; all good men and good women, if they have faith, must make a vow to be born
in that land.

Just as I am now extolling the inconceivable merits of all the Buddhas, all those Buddhas
are likewise extolling my inconceivable merits, with these words: "Shakyamuni Buddha
is able to carry out a most difficult and rare task. In the world "Endurance" [this world],
in an evil world of the Five Corruptions -the corruption of the age, the corruption of
views, the corruption of afflictions, the corruption of sentient beings, and the corruption
of life ~ he is able to achieve complete, unexcelled enlightenment, and to expound the
Truth which all beings in all worlds find hard to believe." Know then that in the midst of
this evil world of the Five Corruptions, I am able to carry out this difficult task, attain
complete, unexcelled enlightenment, and expound the Truth which is so hard to believe
for beings in all worlds. This is indeed most difficult!

When Buddha had finished preaching this scripture, Shariputra and all the monks and all
the other gods and humans and asuras and the rest who had been listening, having heard
what the Buddha said, rejoiced and faithfully accepted it. They all bowed in homage and
departed.